1984

1984 George Orwell 268 pp.

George Orwell's chilling novel 1984 stands across the years as a warning against the powers of an overly expanded government. It is easy to read this novel simply as a denouncement of the Stalinist regime in the Soviet Union, but its warning goes much further. Recent events, SOPA/PIPA and PRISM sound the same note as Big Brother in 1984, with only a difference of an octave or two.
The text itself is remarkable, Orwell's writing is smooth and efficient, doling out Winston's growing awareness of the system in which he is utterly trapped. Orwell's use of chess as a metaphor throughout the book is certainly one of the high points for me. Throughout the entire text, INGSOC has every individual locked in a position three steps from checkmate, allowing them to produce value for the party in a state of enthusiastic ignorance.
In terms of worldbuilding, 1984 is a triumph. While the social commentary Orwell makes through the role of INGSOC in the book is lingering and troubling, newspeak is an entirely different animal. Merely the slightest exploration of its purpose and effects is enough to trigger a quickened pulse and furrowed glare. Possibly one of my favorite chapters in the book is the essay tucked at the end of the novel, a thorough explanation of the principals and practice of newspeak.
Orwell's writing is a triumph, at one level the book is rife with large information dumps, mostly Winston reading from a book or plainly explaining things to the narrator. Were Orwell any less skillful of a writer, these sections would be tiresome and frustrating; fortunately, Orwell was a genius and these passages flow into the narrative, entrancing the reader in the details of Winston's society.
On the whole, 1984 is a novel no one should still be waiting to read. The social commentary is rich and perennially relevant. Even if 1984 were not a masterpiece of critical writing about the dangers of an all-encompassing authoritarian regime, Orwell's writing is masterful and enjoyable.

Would I recommend 1984? Yes.

Score: 4.7/5

Would I keep this on my bookshelf? Yes.

-Mr. Cheddar